


it's complicated

by fictionalexistences



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: !!, Bisexual Kevin Day, Drunkenness, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Implied/Referenced Sex, Jeremy Knox is a Little Shit, Jeremy Knox is a Sunshine Child, Kerejean Gift Exchange, Kissing, M/M, Multi, No established relationship, Other, POV Jean Moreau, POV Third Person, Sarcastic Jean Moreau, You didn't hear that from me, half crack half not, hinted renison, offended that that isn't a tag, probably ooc bc it's been a while since i've read aftg, sorry if it is ooc :(, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25780846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalexistences/pseuds/fictionalexistences
Summary: Kevin raised an eyebrow. "So, you two are dating?""No." "Yes." Jean glared at Jeremy, but the other just smiled cheekily. Jean thinks that he's never seen Kevin so confused.or, a misguided attempt at jealousy ends in a relationship Jean wasn’t expecting.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox & Jean Moreau, Kevin Day & Jean Moreau, Kevin Day & Jeremy Knox, Kevin Day/Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	it's complicated

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boulderuphill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boulderuphill/gifts).



> a kerejean fic for boulderuphill, for the kerejean gift exchange :)
> 
> prompt: "Fake Dating! Maybe for some fancy event? It’s up to you!"

Parties weren't his thing.

The whole glamorous act people put up at these things, the polite words and fake laughter, were too much for Jean. It reminded him too much of things he didn't want to think about, memories so far back and repressed that it hurt to try to remember.

Yet here he was, holding a glass that probably cost more than the watch the server wore.

Jeremy had convinced him to attend, to get out there and… Jean didn't remember what the other's exact words were. The fact he needed a pep talk to go to a fancy party was pathetic. Jean sighed.

He took another sip of his clear drink; it was just water. Jean didn't feel like getting drunk. Perhaps he would go for something heavier later. He didn't feel like doing much of anything but blending into the shadows, at the moment.

The backliner was more of a people-watcher, examining everyone from their clothing to their posture to the way they laughed, distant from him and detached from their true selves. The people-watching had become less or a hobby and more of a survival tactic. He had to always be observant, because you never knew what threat Riko was going to throw at you next.

Jean didn't like parties.

They gave him too much time to think and distracted Jeremy, which meant that Jean was stuck by himself with his thoughts. He was getting better, sure, but Jean never knew what would trigger a mood drop or panic attack.

That was a lie, he did know what would do those things. Jean just didn't want to address them. Ever, preferably. The only people who might know him better than himself are Kevin (who definitely does) and Jeremy (who's a close second), but neither of them were with him at the moment.

He hummed a vaguely remembered tune, a lullaby from a life so long ago he couldn't remember. Whether he subconsciously wanted to or not was a whole other story, but it was hard to sing a song you only knew the chorus of. Jean filled the verses with his own melodies, and let himself fall back into thought.

Jean wasn't quite sure why exy players had been invited to such a high-profile event, but they were celebrities in their own right. _At least, they knew how to act like them_ , Jean thought, watching Jeremy easily mingling with the crowd. It was that kind of social grace that Jean envied in the man, that lack of grace that had Jean hanging around the shadows. The over-the-top _ballroom_ (because apparently it was still acceptable to host parties in a 19th century venue) was supported by pillars easily big enough to hide behind.

Despite the old-fashioned architecture, Jean could begrudgingly admit that it was beautiful. Gold lined the ceiling, illuminated by silver chandeliers adorned with so many opalescent crystals that it made his head spin. The dome of the ceiling was almost entirely glass, though it faded into gold, and then into yellow-tinted beige wallpaper. Light swirls were painted onto it, a pale imitation of the gold that adorned the upper walls.

The people in the ball were beautiful as well. Ladies with impossibly high cheekbones and dresses mostly ranging from black to red, with a couple dashes of beige and blue thrown in there. There was a bright hot pink somewhere in the mix, alongside a dark emerald green gown that hung off another figure beautifully.

The men were dressed in suits or a variation of such, though many of them were different colors of beige, blue, yellow, and even a bright red one. Jean himself was dressed in a dark grey blazer, dress pants, and a fitted white button up. Not as fancy as everyone else, but Jeremy had clapped in joy when he had seen him all decked out.

He wasn't quite sure what to do at these kind of events. Jean usually hung around Jeremy, though he was rare to admit it, everyone knew that the newest member of the Trojans had a attachment to their captain. There was something about him that was welcoming, that happy-go-lucky demeanor that Jean was so unused to. The one that helped Jean settle into a new routine with the Trojans, a healthier one.

They weren't many familiar faces in the sea of people, though Jean thought he spotted white and pastel hair along side a blond ponytail. It only took a blink before they were gone, though if Renee and Allison really were here, there was a chance that Kevin would be as well.

The thought of the man made Jean tense in apprehension. It had been a while since they last spoke, probably only once after Jean had gotten situated with the Trojans. He and Kevin were certainly close during their time as Ravens, but that was a closeness born more out of necessity and survival than anything else. Still, it had existed, and Jean would be hard-pressed to ignore that it had ever happened.

He forced his train of thought to still, instead focusing on Jeremy smiling more genuinely than everyone else in the room combined, and the fact that Jeremy was focusing that smile on _him._

Then, Jean turned his attention to the man trailing behind him, and felt himself freeze at the sight of one Kevin Day. As soon as it had happened, Jean relaxed and tried to fix his posture so that he wasn't so stiff.

"Guess who I found," Jeremy says, in a sing-song voice, as if Jean needed to guess who the man he knew like the back of his hand was.

"Kevin." Jean greeted in what he hoped was a warm tone. He almost cringed at how awkward it sounded, but neither of the men in front of him seemed to notice. "Jean. It's been too long," Kevin says almost fondly. It might have been a trick that Jean's mind was pulling on him, but he didn't register any hostility, so Jean let himself fully relax and take in the soft upturn of Kevin's mouth.

"So, Kevin," Jeremy starts casually, initiating the conversation. "How's the team?"

The man shrugged, knowing that Jeremy was talking about his old team, his family, the Foxes. "They're good. Actually, one of them mentioned you the other day."  


"Oh? I'm glad to hear that they're all doing well."

"I have a question, actually." That caught Jean's attention. There wasn't anything recent that had happened with the Trojans that Kevin would have to ask about, so he wasn't quite sure what Kevin had to inquire, if it wasn't exy.

The man frowned, looking a bit uncomfortable as he voiced his inquiry. "Are you two… _together_?" Jean tenses just a bit, a little confused and a little concerned when he sees the playful gleam in Jeremy's eyes.

"Why do you ask?" Jeremy's voice is sweet as always, laced with genuine curiosity.

“Nicky’s been gossiping,” the exy-enthusiast explained dryly. It elicited a long “Ohhhhhhhhh.” from Jeremy, which makes Kevin raise an eyebrow. "So, you two _are_ dating?"

"No." "Yes." Jean not-so-discreetly glared at Jeremy, but the other just smiled cheekily. Jean thinks that he's never seen Kevin so confused. Then Jeremy grabs his arm and smiles like he’s the sun incarnate and it’s his turn to be confused.

“Actually, we are dating. Jean’s just a bit shy about it, you know?”

_What the actual fuck_ , Jean thought to himself, dumbfounded. He wasn't sure what he had done in a past life that made the universe approve of this. Jeremy Knox, the amazing, supportive captain of the USC Trojans, had just told Kevin-fucking-Day that they were _dating_. Jean wondered if he had missed some sort of memo, because last he checked, he was still blissfully single.

The other seemed to agree with his unspoken thought. "I'm not drunk enough for this," Kevin mumbled in a barely-audible tone that sounded as tired as Jean felt, but he didn’t question it. Instead, Jeremy went on to ask about how Kevin was doing and the such. Jean wasn’t usually one for small talk, but was pleasantly surprised when Kevin asked about him. The three of them settled into comfortable conversation, discussing topics from exy to current events to just what has been going on in their lives, outside of exy.

After a while, Jeremy seemed to get a little fidgety from just standing, and turned to his 'boyfriend'.

"Care to dance?"

The glimmer in his eyes was enough to make Jean feel a little breathless, but that didn't mean he was subjecting himself to the embarrassment of _dancing_ with the USC Trojans' captain—no, _his_ captain. He had seen Jeremy's dancing before, and it certainly left much to be desired.

Jean winced as he remembered the bruises on his feet the day after the captain and him had drunkenly spun around the other's apartment. The rest of that night had been a blur of drinks and embarrassing rambling, and Jean filed it back into the _do not touch_ tile.

"Nope." Jean threw his captain a tired look when Jeremy pouted like a petulant child, before turning his gaze to Kevin. It seemed that the exy-player was much more susceptible to his charms, though Kevin's crush on Jeremy had been obvious enough to him back then.

Now, the hints of pink on Kevin's cheeks show that it never really faded. Kevin's crush on the sunshine, poster child was still there, he just knew how to hide it better.

Jean wondered if the others on his team, Neil, Andrew, Nicky, Aaron, Wymack, his _family_ , could read him like Jean could. If they knew all the bits and pieces Kevin fell apart into, and how to fit them back together without any glue.

Their need to survive the hellhole that was Castle Evermore was what brought about their relationship. The need to have someone who understood what it was like, to be beat and tired and broken.

The two excused themselves for the dancefloor, leaving Jean to his ever-darkening thoughts. For a moment, Jean thought he was supposed to feel something at the sight of his not-boyfriend and his… childhood acquaintance? His friend? The guy he's had some sort of _connection_ with since the moment they met?

_It's complicated_ , Jean decides.

For the rest of the party, he silently watches Kevin and Jeremy twirl across the ballroom, and pines just a little for his not-boyfriend and his dance partner. No one else is there to call him out on it, except for his own treacherous mind wondering what it would be like to dance with them.

_Very complicated._

* * *

Going home with a tipsy Kevin Day and a drunk exy captain were _not_ two things on Jean's to-do list. When he voiced such thoughts, Jeremy just giggled and said the most atrocious pick up line Jean's ever had to endure.

"Well, I dunno about Kevin, but you're definitely on _my_ to-do list." Jean hopes that neither of them notice how his face heats a bit at that and rolls his eyes.

His words are slurred enough to remind Jean of his drunkness, though the words were reminder enough in his opinion. Drunk Jeremy was a flirty Jeremy, as Jean had been horrified to learn. The antics somehow got a snort out of Kevin, which Jean would vehemently blame on the other's non-sober state. The dreaded fluttering in his stomach was a can of worms that Jean had no intention of opening anytime soon, especially not tonight.

"I don't need to hear about the stuff you guys get up to in private," Kevin says almost teasingly, a hint of a giggle in his lilt. Jean would admire how different it was from the Kevin he knew, how openly he spoke, how much Kevin had grown as a person, if it weren't for the fact that he was speaking about a relationship that didn't exist.

Jean still wasn't sure where Nicky Hemmick got the idea that he and Jeremy were a thing, but Jeremy had seemed relatively unsurprised.

Jean's feelings about a having a relationship with Jeremy were… confusing. Yes, Jeremy had been extremely supportive about Jean's dark past, but a lot of that was just his goodwill. Plus, he could have been doing it as a favor for Kevin. Jean knew that the two were friends, or at least acquaintances who kept in contact often. 

How much of their friendship was founded on genuine concern? How much of it based on pity or favors?

Ignoring Jean's confusing feelings about the possibility of a relationship (which he would be lying if he said he didn't entertain the thought of, perhaps even _wanted_ ), it still didn't explain why the other would say what he said about the two. Was it a sign that Jeremy wanted a relationship with him? Jean wasn't always the best at reading social cues, but Jeremy would probably be more upfront about his feelings instead of dancing around it like this.

So what did Jeremy stand to gain by faking a relationship? What did he _want_?

Unfortunately for him, Jean hadn't had a chance to ask Jeremy about it before he decided to get drunk off his ass.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, Jean unlocked the door to his apartment, and ushered the other two in. He only had a couch and a small bed, so someone would be taking the floor tonight. Jean wondered if Jeremy was drunk enough to be willing to sleep on the floor, but the thought of their sunny captain waking up uncomfortable and hungover was pitiful enough for Jean to silently decide that the floor would be his mattress for the night.

Jean locked the door behind them, and turned to a pouty Jeremy jumping him. The man grunted when Jeremy practically leaped on him. The man wasn't very heavy by any means, but the weight was still sudden.

"Jeeeeaaan~" For now, the man in question turned his attention to Jeremy, who was currently clinging to him like a lifeline. Jean allowed the touching, not wanting to admit that his touch-starved self _enjoyed_ it.

Nope, he definitely didn't like it, as Jeremy pulled Jean lower. "Jean," the drunk, wide-eyed Jeremy says in what's supposed to be his serious voice. It's a weird combination of sternness and laughter. Jean is hyperaware that Kevin is still there, eyes burning holes into the two of them.

_He must be really thirsty for Jeremy_ , Jean jokes to himself. No one laughs.

Remembering the man dangling off his neck (Jean wasn't quite sure how he had forgotten about Jeremy, especially when he spent so much of his time thinking of him), Jean responded to the earlier call of his name. "Yeah?"

Jeremy's face lit up, as if that acknowledgement was something special, and hugged him hard. It wasn't the response Jean had expected, but he accepted it anyways, wrapping his arms around the other's torso.

"Play along." The whispered command sounded much too sober, and much too husky, and it could have given Jean a heart attack if what occurred next didn't.

Because in that next moment, Jeremy Knox, the beautiful, freckled, sunshine child captain of the USC Trojans, the team that won the Day Spirit Award in no small part thanks to this wonderous man, kissed him.

It took all of Jean's self-control to not immediately jerk away, not out of disgust, but more out of surprise. Not everything fell into place all at once, but all Jean knew in that moment was that he was making out with Jeremy Knox in from of Kevin Day, and that this had to be one messed up dream.

Sadly for him (or not, depending on what part of Jean you were asking), it wasn't one that he could wake up from. Jeremy easily slit his mouth against his, and a hand had slipped into his hair somewhere in the middle of all this.  
  
Kissing Jeremy was similar to what he had imagined, not that he had spent extensive time wondering how it would feel to press those strawberry-pink lips to his own. Soft and sweet, but with much more tongue than he expected. Jean let Jeremy take the lead, and the only thing keeping Jean's eyes closed was his focus on the kiss.

And then, his eyes were open. Jeremy was several centimeters away, panting lightly, face red and Jean wondered if he looked as wrecked as he did, when he caught sight of Kevin. While they had been doing _that_ , Kevin had settled himself on to Jean's couch, eyeing the duo with something akin to hunger in his eyes.

Jean didn't seem to be the only one who noticed this, if Jeremy's pleased look meant anything. The exy captain turned to face Kevin with a flourish and something like a smirk on his face.

"Care to join us?" Jeremy asked, in the same tone he had used earlier, mimicking his earlier words. It sent blood rushing south, and his words seemed to have a similar effect on Kevin, if the other's quick strides towards them were any indication.

Jean's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Kevin leaning down and kissing Jeremy. The shorter eagerly returned his affections, wrapping his arms around Kevin's neck and pressing himself closer. If this was anything like how Kevin felt watching them, Jean was impressed at how much self-control that man possessed. It took almost everything Jean had to not touch either of them. Disappointment flooded him when they parted.

Then, he was frozen once more as Kevin pressed his lips firm against Jean's own.

_So this is what Jeremy had been after_ , Jean thought as he accepted Kevin's touch. He easily parted his lips as his partner's tongue pushed at them. As they kissed, a hand intertwined with his. When they finally separated, Jean saw a practically-glowing Jeremy and his coy smile, who tugged the two of them to Jean's room and his too-small bed.

The next morning, Jean woke up next to two bare, sweaty bodies. Correction: he was squeezed _between_ the two. His sleep-addled mind had no idea how they had all fit together in his tiny bed, but one of them was practically on top of him.

He moved to try to see the clock, but a mumble from Kevin and the exy player pulling him close prevented him from seeing the time. Jean was about to ask Kevin to let go, but then Jeremy shifted from on top of him with a groan. Jean smiled fondly, but was interrupted by a yawn.

It was too early to think about the consequences of their sleeping together. Jean went back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> no idea what i just wrote. hope you liked it, boulderuphill!!
> 
> (ngl, i pulled an all-nighter writing the last half of and editing this bc my stupid procrastinating ass be like that. don't know how i feel about the plot, but i don't think i completely flunked. the 3000 word thing was easier than i thought it would be; i almost forgot bout it. anyways, that's enough of me rambling for tonight. stan kerejean, please & ty.)


End file.
